Instruction
Amateurs, leave golf swing advice to the professionals
Hey, I know what you’re doing wrong.
How many times have you heard that while on the golf course? Sadly, there are struggling golfers who actually listen to this advice. I wish I had a dollar for the number of students that I have seen applying the incorrect advice of fellow playing partners, husbands, random people on the range, or a buddy who “knows” the golf swing.
These days, with more and more golf instruction available on YouTube and on the web, it seems like everyone is now an “expert” on the golf swing in their spare time. No offense, but everyone is not an expert, and more often than not, a non-professional who offers a tip on the range will do more harm than good.
As they say, there are more teachers than players in golf, and I couldn’t agree more with this phrase. If you’re someone who loves to provide unsolicited advice, please do your fellow golfers a favor and STOP! Leave all your tips, advice, and instant lessons to someone who is paid to give lessons.
I know this doesn’t apply to everyone or every situation, but understand that VERY FEW people really know how the golf swing works in its entirety, not to mention the physiology or psychology of making a swing change.
Don’t be fooled by playing ability either.
Just because a golfer plays or scores better than you do does not mean he or she knows how to teach, or even understands the swing. If shooting par was all that was needed to be a “teacher,” why then do the majority of Tour Professionals employ real teachers?
Full-time teaching professionals get paid to study and learn about the swing each and every single day they come to work, for 8-10 hours per day, and it still takes many years and thousands of lessons to truly understand how to teach effectively. I’ve been teaching golf for 23 years, and it took at least 10,000 hours of actual teaching for me to become a better-than-average teacher. My guess is that many other top teachers would agree.
When you give someone an incorrect tip, you are undermining the entire process of what any good teaching professional is trying to do. We almost always have a set plan with your game and swing; seldom do any good teachers work randomly using band-aid instruction. When was the last time you received a golf course or range tip from someone that was applicable in the long-term development of your swing? Random advice rarely, if ever, fixes the true cause of your swing flaw, and at best, may improve how your swing looks on video — which makes little to no difference in scoring.
How many of you would let me come into one of your offices and let me tell your clients what I thought they should do with their nest egg because I heard Charlie McVean give a speech on “using agricultural futures to offset your correlated assets?”
I do not believe any of you would let me “work” with one of your clients after reading a book, or five just like it. But this is what happens every single day on the golf course. A player, maybe even an accomplished one, reads the latest instructional book and all of the sudden they’re Butch Harmon’s first assistant.
Most teaching professionals are really not too fond of quick tips, good-natured advice, or instant lessons from other players who think they know the swing, because it honestly just delays the process of improvement.
Mike Hebron one of the most respected teachers in the PGA of America, wrote a similar article on this topic, and a few points from this from the Executive Golfer in 1998 still apply today.
“Most of the advice is coming from a friend or playing companion who may also have a game that is inconsistent,” Hebron wrote. “Golfers who are trying to improve often become prisoners of yesterday’s advice that causes today’s swing problems. My suggestion: Please stop listening to, and stop giving advice now! Many people in your golfing life may be very qualified in their chosen line of work, but most of the advice they are going to share will only slow, or prevent any long-term progress you are capable of; and I feel I am understating the facts! At times it seems golfers are saying I know that this might not be the best idea, but at least it is something to work on. Ladies and Gentlemen — this approach, going from tip to tip is the foundation of frustration, not long-term progress.”
What Mike and I are saying, as carefully as possible, is to leave the tips to the teaching professionals, and if you are personally struggling with your game, please go get a lesson! Do not listen to the first guy who comments on your action, because I promise, it will only hurt in the long run.
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My golf learning began with this simple fact – if you don’t have a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, it is practically impossible for your body to execute a fundamentally sound golf swing. I’m still a big believer that the golf swing is much easier to execute if you begin with the proper hold on the club.
As you might imagine, I come into contact with hundreds of golfers of all skill levels. And it is very rare to see a good player with a bad hold on the golf club. There are some exceptions, for sure, but they are very few and very far between, and they typically have beat so many balls with their poor grip that they’ve found a way to work around it.
The reality of biophysics is that the body moves only in certain ways – and the particulars of the way you hold the golf club can totally prevent a sound swing motion that allows the club to release properly through the impact zone. The wonderful thing is that anyone can learn how to put a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, and you can practice it anywhere your hands are not otherwise engaged, like watching TV or just sitting and relaxing.
Whether you prefer an overlap, interlock or full-finger (not baseball!) grip on the club, the same fundamentals apply. Here are the major grip faults I see most often, in the order of the frequency:
Mis-aligned hands
By this I mean that the palms of the two hands are not parallel to each other. Too many golfers have a weak left hand and strong right, or vice versa. The easiest way to learn how to hold the club with your palms aligned properly is to grip a plain wooden ruler or yardstick. It forces the hands to align properly and shows you how that feels. If you grip and re-grip a yardstick several times, then grip a club, you’ll see that the learning curve is almost immediate.
The position of the grip in the upper/left hand
I also observe many golfers who have the butt of the grip too far into the heel pad of the upper hand (the left hand for right-handed players). It’s amazing how much easier it is to release the club through the ball if even 1/4-1/2″ of the butt is beyond the left heel pad. Try this yourself to see what I mean. Swing the club freely with just your left hand and notice the difference in its release from when you hold it at the end of the grip, versus gripping down even a half inch.
To help you really understand how this works, go to the range and hit shots with your five-iron gripped down a full inch to make the club the same length as your seven-iron. You will probably see an amazing shot shape difference, and likely not see as much distance loss as you would expect.
Too much lower (right) hand on the club
It seems like almost all golfers of 8-10 handicap or higher have the club too far into the palm of the lower hand, because that feels “good” if you are trying to control the path of the clubhead to the ball. But the golf swing is not an effort to hit at the ball – it is a swing of the club. The proper hold on the club has the grip underneath the pad at the base of the fingers. This will likely feel “weak” to you — like you cannot control the club like that. EXACTLY. You should not be trying to control the club with your lower/master hand.
Gripping too tightly
Nearly all golfers hold the club too tightly, which tenses up the forearms and prevents a proper release of the club through impact. In order for the club to move back and through properly, you must feel that the club is controlled by the last three fingers of the upper hand, and the middle two fingers of the lower hand. If you engage your thumbs and forefingers in “holding” the club, the result will almost always be a grip that is too tight. Try this for yourself. Hold the club in your upper hand only, and squeeze firmly with just the last three fingers, with the forefinger and thumb off the club entirely. You have good control, but your forearms are not tense. Then begin to squeeze down with your thumb and forefinger and observe the tensing of the entire forearm. This is the way we are made, so the key to preventing tenseness in the arms is to hold the club very lightly with the “pinchers” — the thumbs and forefingers.
So, those are what I believe are the four fundamentals of a good grip. Anyone can learn them in their home or office very quickly. There is no easier way to improve your ball striking consistency and add distance than giving more attention to the way you hold the golf club.
More from the Wedge Guy
- The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game
- The Wedge Guy: Why golf is 20 times harder than brain surgery
- The Wedge Guy: Musings on the golf ball rollback
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Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?
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This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.
For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.
Setup
You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.
While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.
Get a Better Shoulder Turn
Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.
In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.
Stay Better Connected in the Backswing
When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.
Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.
Conclusion
I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.
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SunkTheBirdie
Apr 11, 2017 at 7:48 pm
Let’s assess the potential conflicts of interest here.
A paid golf instructor suggesting unpaid instruction is bad and advocating paid instruction.
To suggest that YouTube golf instruction is anything less than a revolution in golf instruction is just plain silly. Learning golf is hard. YouTube won’t make everyone a scratch golfer … but learning about the golf swing is more accessible than ever and knowledge is power.
It'sJustAGame
Dec 12, 2016 at 2:09 pm
Seriously Tom, this article is pretty much a measuring stick of what average golfers think of teachers like yourself. There is not a credential in golf that anyone with a heartbeat can’t get
HoleIn2
Dec 12, 2016 at 2:14 pm
Can’t argue with that, good point. Tom, when you started were you a good instructor? You can buy anything now…
US AM
Dec 12, 2016 at 1:48 pm
Tom, the article is very compelling, and opinions are in all directions. I wonder as a golf instructor myself, how you got to where you are? I myself have played for over 30 years, have had one instructor and he has mentored me to become an instructor also, because he saw something in me that over the past 10 years has been something I never imagined I was capable of doing. I pride myself in being prepared, having a simplistic approach, and not try to reinvent the wheel. All I do is teach and learn everyday, and I am very proud that I have contributed to the game I so dearly love. Curious to hear your story…Thnx
US AM
Dec 11, 2016 at 6:34 pm
This topic has proven the point that golf instruction is mixed at best. Real good PGA pros are getting the slack for lousy ones, and that is unfair… I have played golf most of my life and the Head Pro at my club was a very experienced pro but just couldn’t teach a lick. He was basically a manager. The asst. was worse!!! Thanks to my dad showing me simple stuff, it helped, but when I got a little older we had to drive out of town for quality instruction, and he wasn’t a PGA pro. There seems to be a different direction for instructors and shop clerks. You are starting to see that now when you have a Head Pro, Asst. Pro, and Director of Instruction… The PGA of America needs to focus a very distinctive curriculum for today’s golf… Head pros run the shop and or club, assistants assist, and directors of instruction, teach…
Smokin' Gun
Dec 11, 2016 at 1:10 pm
One thing no one has mentioned is that most juniors start playing golf sometimes in high school, some kids don’t want to do regular PE so they sign up for golf. That is where they get a coach that isn’t prepared or even willing to teach these kids the simplest fundamentals cause they are not golf instructors. Some just play golf and are basically chaperones. That is where this circle of bad golf starts, kids aren’t being taught cause the people handling them are being taught themselves. Not all programs, but most, IMO…
Mongoose
Dec 11, 2016 at 1:19 pm
Agree completely, In my community we have about 8 high schools. The coaches are either football or basketball coaches that play golf themselves. And are not remotely qualified to be golf instructors, that is where PGA apprentices should be inserted to help… Golf coaches in most cases are chaperones and do more harm than good, unless they welcome kids to have their own coaches and only act as cheerleaders…
SundayRed
Dec 11, 2016 at 1:33 pm
Good day, I’m a high school golf coach and completely agree with your comments, I’m overwhelmed with kids and I coach both girls and boys and have about 30 kids in the program every year. I tell all my parents I am not an instructor and highly recommend lessons from qualified coaches. Golf is the last sport on the pole and we feel like we are every year… I try my best by shadowing a local golf instructor in my area, I do this on my own time and have been for years. Plus I reach out to my kids instructors to follow up on drill work or practice routines they have been given… Most coaches in high school I know feel disrespected by there kids seeking qualified instructors but I embrace it. We have won district and have qualified for state the past 5 years. When there is team work there is progress…
Rors
Dec 11, 2016 at 1:36 pm
A+
Par4manceGolf
Dec 8, 2016 at 4:55 pm
I am a golf instructor/mentor, I have been playing and observing the game for almost 30 years. I have raised 4 children, two of which picked up golf because they wanted to. Both of them played there way to D1 scholarships in Texas. When I picked up the game at 27, I researched for the best possible fit for a swing coach, and have been with the same one since. I’ve always studied the game and have been an advocate for golf, especially junior golf. Five years ago my instructor offered me a coaching position teaching and mentoring juniors. It’s been a great 5 years. All I do is teach juniors, my boss has opened up all different types of avenues in golf, attending seminars in biomechanics, trackman, bodytrak, and shadowing his mentors, like Mike Bender, Andy Plummer, Mike Bennett, Mac O’Grady, and countless others. I do this full time!!! I know I’m not the best but, I’m the best prepared. I do this because it’s in my heart and truly love the game of golf. If your are going to teach own your craft.
4right
Dec 11, 2016 at 1:37 pm
Great story, continued success…
Monte Scheinblum a.k.a. The Mad Bomber
Dec 7, 2016 at 8:11 pm
I can’t believe people pay me money to give lessons!
MY RATES:
$150 per hour
$600 for a five lesson package (5 one hour lessons)
MY PLAYING LESSONS:
$250 for 9 holes (fee includes greens fee and cart)
$400 for 18 holes (fee includes greens fee and cart)
MY CLINIC FEES:
$350/$450 for 2/3 days.
Range and green fees are always around $50 per day.
Looper
Dec 7, 2016 at 8:54 pm
Neither can I!!! Ouch…
Tigermywoods
Dec 7, 2016 at 8:56 pm
You take Medicaid? Freaking doctor or what?
Go skins
Dec 7, 2016 at 9:07 pm
Crazy 🙁
Go skins
Dec 7, 2016 at 9:09 pm
You’re about $145 an hour to expensive. Wow man!!!
I've always dreamed about being a golf club
Dec 7, 2016 at 9:12 pm
You are mad!!!
Ty Webb
Dec 7, 2016 at 6:59 pm
Please Tom stick to what you know and quit writing senseless articles. Never reading your articles again.
Tea & Lemonade
Dec 7, 2016 at 7:02 pm
Right on Ty… nananananana
Norm StCyr
Dec 9, 2016 at 2:19 pm
What are you talking about? This article is spot on. My game hardly improved until I took lessons.
Mongoose
Dec 10, 2016 at 10:47 pm
That’s great Norm, your are one of the few…
Steve Wozeniak
Dec 7, 2016 at 6:41 pm
If you can’t explain it simply you don’t know it well enough…….A good Instructor can explain the entire golf swing in an hour……it takes years to master it…….
95% of the Instructors out there are try this, try that teachers, they have no clue what the True Fundamentals are and would not know how to apply them if they did. THAT is why the average score is still over 100 and has been forever…..I have taught over 60 Tour Players and over 300 PGA and LPGA teaching professionals in my 35 years of Coaching and most are confused. They just can’t believe the swing is easy. My suggestion would be to get Ben Hogans Book or George Knudsen’s book and stick to one or the other then practice and play……..
Steve Wozeniak PGA
http://www.stevewozeniak.com
Chris
Dec 7, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Well, well – it’s about time that this negative opinion of professional golf teachers comes to light on a website like this. Most professional teachers don’t know much more about the golf swing than a solid sub-10 handicap amateur. Some can only barely play bogey golf themselves. To have this “professional” buffoon say that amateurs should leave golf advice to the professionals is a total joke. He should apologize … and stop masquerading as an elite hero that should not be questioned.
Yes!
Dec 7, 2016 at 2:41 pm
? THIS!!! ?
PGA PRO
Dec 7, 2016 at 5:55 pm
There is a player ability test that you have to pass to become a pga ” professional ” and I can assure you it is better than bogey golf.
b
Dec 7, 2016 at 8:20 pm
No one ever asks if the teaching professional is a PGA professional.
Tigermywoods
Dec 7, 2016 at 9:03 pm
Wrong… Not better than par. It’s based on the course rating and from the second tee. Hacks…
McPickens
Dec 8, 2016 at 12:23 am
player ability test is a joke, check it out here: https://www.pga.org/articles/playing-ability-test-pat
…better yet here in Canada it’s even more of a joke
http://www.pgaofcanada.com/registration/index.aspx?l=0,1,46,1865,1875
No wonder my club pro won’t play any of us for $$$
TigerMyWoods
Dec 8, 2016 at 11:02 am
Right!!! An apprentice at my club can’t even break 80 on a great day. Not to mention our head pro. PGA pros should be held to the highest scrutiny of the game. Playing ability should be the toughest most grueling competition ever held and should be done often.
b
Dec 8, 2016 at 12:49 pm
Except for the beginner golfers the ordinary, undistinguished professional teachers are a joke.
PGA PRO
Dec 10, 2016 at 5:23 pm
I will play you for as much cash as you can bring to the course McPickens… bring it
Iamgolf
Dec 10, 2016 at 7:40 pm
I’ll play you.
Rors
Dec 10, 2016 at 7:51 pm
PGA pro wants some. Haha
Iamgolf
Dec 8, 2016 at 11:06 am
Haha, really!!! My PGA pro couldn’t break par with strokes. He couldn’t pass the PAT they let him thru after several attempts. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
PGA PRO
Dec 10, 2016 at 6:11 pm
Iamgolf,
You do not know what you are talking about… ” they let him thru ” …. hahaha!!! That made my day:)
Iamgolf
Dec 10, 2016 at 7:38 pm
I’m glad I made your day. Our assistant PGA pro couldn’t pass his PAT in 4 trys and on the 5th his 1st round score equaled the target score of 78 and he’s in. You obviously made mine now.
Looper
Dec 10, 2016 at 7:45 pm
Should get your facts straight PGA pro. I’m a rules official for our state chapter. I’ve done PAT’s for the last 10-12 years. I’ll agree some real good players come thru but maybe 5%. The others not so much. I’ve got to go with Iamgolf on this one. Seen some play over and over and they get one of the scores near the target score and they’ll get thru.
Rors
Dec 10, 2016 at 7:50 pm
Iamgolf is spot on pro. My roommate in college is an assistant at a very nice club in Oklahoma. Not that great a player and even worse as a teacher. Just really wanted a career in golf.
PGA 420
Dec 10, 2016 at 6:21 pm
You are seeing the wrong pro….
I am golf – let me know when you pass!
Rors
Dec 11, 2016 at 6:05 pm
Me and Iamgolf have played many times, we met at sectionals to the 2010 US open qualifier in Memphis. I played horribly but Iamgolf missed qualifying by a few shots. He is pretty stout, I remember Jordan Speith playing as an am then. I’m sure he could pass a PAT without blinking. He had like a +3 hndcp…
Iamgolf
Dec 11, 2016 at 6:10 pm
Not a shirt salesman…
USAM
Dec 11, 2016 at 6:13 pm
+1
Looper
Dec 11, 2016 at 6:12 pm
Touchy aren’t we…
eric
Dec 6, 2016 at 7:44 pm
I thought it was just me that thought professional golf teachers are worthless in teaching the golf swing. I’m a 4 hc who learned the game from my dad and friends. The lessons I’ve seen given by pros have done more damage than good. Of the dozen or so pros we’ve had at my club over the last 25 years, only one of them could shoot in the high 70s every once in a while, and the rest couldn’t play worth a damn. Most simply don’t have a clue about the golf swing, or how to teach it to someone. Receiving help and tips from good playing friends is a lot better than from a professional that thinks his poop doesn’t stink, and costs a lot less $$$ too.
Patricknorm
Dec 6, 2016 at 7:42 pm
Tom, I totally agree with your column. Why? Because the two instructors that I’ve paid for instruction have helped immensely. It did take years for me to implement and really understand what they were teaching because of many injuries. My latest instructor has helped me tremendously with my tournament results. I hover between a 5 and 6 handicap , I’m higher in the spring and lower as the summer ends. I play about 13 events per season and usually do well winning low net. My scoring average is about 78 and I’m not the longest hitter.
However executing fundamentals under pressure from what I’ve been taught, works. I also work hard practising and on my fitness. Taking lessons alone doesn’t work unless your willing to invest the time and effort. I suspect many of the negative comments come from guys who don’t practice and don’t work diligently on their fitness. Golf is a hard sport to play well. I’ve never been given a tip by a playing partner that was valid. The ignorance about golf among recreational players is vast.
xrx
Dec 6, 2016 at 4:05 pm
Professional golf teachers are much like driver-ed trainers. The best way to learn to drive a car is with someone teaching you the fundamentals and then just start driving and learn as you go. Guess what? It’s works! It’s the same with golf, have someone teach you the fundamentals and then just start playing and experimenting. Don’t spend a dime on professional teaching. I’ve never seen one that was much good and I’ve seen hundreds of them, and most have just so-so golf swings themselves.
Leonard
Dec 6, 2016 at 3:02 pm
This article never should have gone to print. The author should have none better. Tom is bashing all golfers that not professional golf teachers, saying that only a professional knows about the golf swing and is able to teach others. You cannot get any more wrong Tom! You blew it – admit it…
Norm StCyr
Dec 9, 2016 at 2:22 pm
No he isn’t. Your comments are off-base.
Ron
Dec 6, 2016 at 10:54 am
Every professional in every industry thinks there is some sort of alchemy in their field that prevents people who don’t make it a living from knowing anything about it.
Plumbers will tell you not to touch your own plumbing because you need a licensed, professional plumber to fix your leak. You don’t know what you’re doing. Electricians will tell you that you can’t hang your own ceiling fan, because you don’t know what you’re doing. You’ll burn your house down.
Now, we can’t share anything we know about the golf swing because Tom thinks no one knows anything about swinging a golf club except him and his mates.
McPickens
Dec 6, 2016 at 5:58 am
average PGA pro = glorified shirt/ball salesman aka pro shop attendant.
xrx
Dec 6, 2016 at 4:09 pm
Very true! Many golf pros move to selling life insurance, and then back to golf, then selling used cars. And to think these people can teach you the golf swing and charge you a bundle is robbery.
The_Reality
Dec 6, 2016 at 1:10 am
In the world of consulting services there’s an old saying that immediately comes to my mind when I think of golf instructors; “There’s good money in prolonging the problem”. There’s really no incentive for a golf instructor to quickly get a student to the point where they feel they no longer need to take further lessons. So the instructor provides just enough “tidbits of glory” to give the student something, but they don’t share the full menu without the student taking lessons from them for years.
How many of you fellow golfers have taken lessons or been on the range listening to or watching an instructor giving a lesson and thought to yourself “why are you only giving me/them part of the solution?” My frustration with lessons also has been the inability of instructors to explain the “why” not just the “how” for the movements of the swing.
And for any skiers out there, the situation with the PGA is very similar to the PSIA. Every instructor has their own ideas about what makes up a successful golf swing or a ski turn. The reality though is that what truly matters is “where the rubber meets the road”. Whether it is golf clubs or skis, there are certain physical properties of the equipment and physics in the movements and forces that govern the sport. These fundamentals cannot be changed by any “method” or “style”, but are strictly mandated by what it takes to achieve a great ball impact position or an excellent ski turn. Changing instructors is always problematic when there is no consistent agreement on how the sport should be taught or what makes up the correct movements to achieve success.
I have developed a much deeper and more thorough understanding of the golf swing through lots of introspection of my own swing, online resources, and my interaction with fellow golf buddies. Get some great slow-mo video, maybe add a swing analyzer/launch monitor and forget most of these jokers posing as instructors whose only incentive is to get you to buy the season long lesson package.
Ron
Dec 6, 2016 at 10:57 am
Most people can only incorporate one new move/thought into their swing at a time. If you dump an entire new process on someone, they won’t absorb it. My issue with the process is that it’s on the range. I can stripe drives all day long on the range. The issue is when I get on the course. That’s where I need the help. You want to teach me golf? Great, let’s go play.
Mike Rodrick
Dec 6, 2016 at 1:04 pm
Ron, that’s nearly everyone’s issue. On the course, you don’t get to hit more than 1 shot as opposed to hitting 10 of the same shot on the range. Also, you’re not under any pressure on the range. You may already do this but if not, instead of hitting 10 consecutive drivers, hit 1 & then 2 or 3 different clubs after that to specific distances. In other word practice like you’re playing. It’s much more useful unless you’re working on something specific where you only need 1 club.
Matt
Dec 7, 2016 at 9:04 am
Couldn’t disagree with you more regarding your ‘tidbits’ comment. I go to a very successful golf pro who prides himself on his incredible reputation of improving his customers. Most everyday golfer wouldn’t put a limit on the improvements that they want to achieve and would set more once their goals had been achieved. For example once you turn a 18 handicapper into a 12 handicapper, the player will want to go from a 12 to a 9 handicapper and so on. As long as there’s continued improvement people will keep coming back and I’m sure I’m talking for a large majority of people here. I certainly would be more inclined to go back for lessons if I was making big improvements. It’s simple, find a committed pro who gets kicks out of teaching not his next pay check. It’s not that hard to find.
Norm StCyr
Dec 9, 2016 at 2:23 pm
Well said, Matt
PGA PRO
Dec 5, 2016 at 3:19 pm
What most recreational golfers do not realize is the amount of training and money and time it takes to be a PGA profrssional. We do not just wake up one day and put a PGA logo on our bag??
Steve Kelly
Dec 5, 2016 at 9:03 pm
The amount of training PGA professionals receive in no way provides them with the ability to actually teach someone how to swing a golf club, and to even a lesser extent, the ability to communicate with a student.
You either understand the many ways and variables of the golf swing (which is highly doubtful), or you don’t. You either understand the physics of a golf swing (which is highly doubtful), or you don’t. You either understand the human body in terms related to the golf swing (which is highly doubtful), or you don’t. You are either a natural teacher, or you aren’t. You are either a great communicator, or you aren’t. You either have the ability to teach by different methods (verbally, visually, or by feel), or you don’t. You either have the ability to teach by using no less than a dozen different analogies for each and every point you are trying to explain, or you don’t.
I would say that the top 10% of certified professional teachers, with greater than 10 years experience teaching, are able to provide fundamental help to 95% of the people they teach to get their handicap down from a beginner to an 18 handicap – 50% of people down to a 15 handicap – 20% down to a 12 handicap – and less than 1-in-20 people down to a 10 handicap or less. Of these improvements, the professional is truly only responsible for a very small amount of the improvement. The vast majority of improvement actually comes from people that are naturally athletic that have a strong passion for the game and are willing to get answers for improvement by digging-it-out-of-the-dirt all by themselves. The best golfers learn the swing and the game by themselves, and find THEIR WAY to play the game. A professional teacher really cannot help most experienced golfers once their handicap gets around a 15 handicap or lower.
Mike Rodrick
Dec 6, 2016 at 1:28 pm
& therein lies the problem with 99% of weekend warriors. They don’t want to bother with getting the basics right every time because it’s boring or they just want to bash drivers. If the basics aren’t ingrained, there’s no point in going further until they are. If you’re just playing for fun & really don’t take it seriously, there’s nothing wrong with that, but if you really want to improve, you have to get the basics nearly flawless every time you step up to a shot, & IMO, that’s what teachers really don’t stress enough with students. How many teachers have you heard say “your only connection with the club is your hands so the grip is the most important part.” Another way to think of it is what I’ve heard another teacher say is to concentrate on making good swings rather than good shots. When the swing is good, good shots will follow. As for Steve’s comment about teachers, you’re making teaching sound black & white. Nothing is either you do or you don’t because of so many variables in the swing. Not everyone learns the same way which is why imo, communication with the student is even more important than the swing mechanics. You can work with someone for hours but if they’re not really getting what you’re trying to teach them, what’s the point? It should be somewhat obvious to the teacher whether any given student is really understanding them within a few lessons, & if it’s not happening, don’t keep taking their money when you know you’re not really teaching them anything. Let them try a different teacher if another is available at that course. You can be pretty much guaranteed that the student will be much happier & spread the word about what you did for them. At least I would.
PGA PRO
Dec 6, 2016 at 3:47 pm
Steve Kelly,
You have no idea what it takes to be a PGA professional or the curriculum that is taught. It is obvious reading your post.
Par4
Dec 11, 2016 at 12:55 pm
Here is an example Steve Kelly… Intro to folding shirts 101, Intro to be on time to open shop 321, Advanced 421 w/lab, how to charge a golf cart… Oh and introduction to golf ball and club…
Brendon Hough
Dec 5, 2016 at 10:19 pm
I calculated it would cost under $9000 to get certified by the Pga of America through level 3. That’s about double what it costs to become a realtor and not anywhere near what it costs to go to medical, law, or in my case flight school. Also there are quite a few instructors teaching at my local driving range with no certifications whatsoever, just a cardboard sign and shirts with logos, although one guy does have a trackman. I would love to see an itemized exspense report for your training.
Smashmouth
Dec 5, 2016 at 10:28 pm
All the money spent on PGA school doesn’t make you a qualified golf instructor. In my club we have a PGA pro, PGA assistant and a director of instruction. Neither of them could teach themselves out of a paper bag. Horrible!!!
Nick
Dec 5, 2016 at 3:02 pm
Lotta upset wanna-be instructors on here. I’m not going to walk into my wife’s law firm and start giving out advice to their clients even though I know a lot because of what she’s taught me. Find a knowledgeable professional and stick with them, people.
Mark
Dec 5, 2016 at 5:41 pm
The difference is that golf is just a hobby
Dale Doback
Dec 5, 2016 at 11:52 pm
Golf may be a hobby for you Mark, as well as many people all over the world but for others golf is a big business, a $70 billion dollar annual business. However I wanted to address Nicks comment. I don’t think the comments are from wanna be instructors but rather people angry at the golfing establishment and feel tired of being taken advantage of are having a difficult time constructing their argument into anything more than what seems like a kid throwing a fit at Toys R Us instead of getting down to the real issue of this article and having a constructive debate. Instead are some are lashing out at Tom who in my opinion seems to be a very good instructor from all the trackman tutorials, youtube videos, and articles he’s done that I’ve had the pleasure of learning from. I know for a fact that finding the right instructor can do wonders for a game as a couple have helped me when I get stuck or a bit off track. The issue is whether or not an amateur is capable of intelligent thought and at a level of understanding of the golf swing and game at the same level as a pro. Can an amateur be as good as the worst pro or is Toms article correct that all amateurs are not as knowledgeable as any pro and need stop talking and sharing with one another and only advance their knowledge and game through a professional instructor and trust them implicitly because they know best.
Rj
Dec 6, 2016 at 3:25 am
But out of that 70 billion, only a small percentage is made in teaching, so pipe down, sucka
Dale Doback.
Dec 6, 2016 at 11:53 am
I agree golf instruction is only a small part of the 70 billion dollar equation but I bet the golf instructors would love to take a bigger piece out of the equation and get golfers to buy lessons instead of new equipment. I’m not saying which would be more helpful just saying there’s a lot of money in golf and it’s not a hobby for a lot of people so open your mind and think before you speak sucka.
Bob Jones
Dec 5, 2016 at 12:00 pm
A few years ago I was playing with a friend of mine who took up golf in mid-life, telling me about the tips he was getting from a friend of his who was a 7-handicap. To be polite, I didn’t say your friend has no idea what he’s talking about, but those tips didn’t seem to be helping my friend at all. Then there’s my brother-in-law, who is bad enough to celebrate when he pars a hole, who always says, after someone hits a bad shot, You looked up. Oh, my. Then there are guys at the range who talk swing theory to the pro and you know they’re just repeating what they read in a book somewhere. I could go on, but you get it.
ButchT
Dec 5, 2016 at 11:40 am
Ian Muir, your comment was unnecessarily rude. In my opinion.
Mike Rodrick
Dec 5, 2016 at 12:42 pm
Thanks Butch. What he assumed was that I had never taken lessons & that I didn’t appreciate what knowledge I could could gain from a teaching pro, which is obviously not the point. If you can’t afford a lesson, how is anyone supposed to learn? You can take group lessons, which is fine if you’re just learning the game, but I’ve been playing for quite a while & actually do know what I’m doing. We all go thru patches that make no sense because something isn’t right that you can’t self correct. I just don’t think I should have to pay more than $50 to find out. In a half hour lesson, there’s more discussion than actual practical application. I’ve taken lessons from pros that don’t play well at all but are very good teachers & vice versa. Again, if the game is to be grown, it has to be affordable.
Grizz01
Dec 5, 2016 at 10:57 am
Professional Golf Instructors are just so full of themselves.
ders
Dec 5, 2016 at 10:50 am
Most golf instructors suck. I’ve improved far more from watching Monte’s youtube stuff than I have from lessons. Some of the youtube lessons have not helped but none have broken my swing. I’m still recovering from the last lesson I took 6 months ago.
PGA PRO
Dec 6, 2016 at 4:03 pm
ders,
If you need to ” recover ” from a lesson and watching something on youtube helps, you should start to take ownership of your own game. Learn the BFL’s so you can improve.
Gary
Dec 5, 2016 at 7:21 am
you need to stop charging less than $1 per lesson, sir.
Shallowface
Dec 5, 2016 at 6:28 am
One thing I was always find interesting is that some here think the only correct response to these articles is something along the lines of “oh great swami, thank you for dispensing another droplet of wisdom from your vast storehouse of knowledge and may no one dare question anything you say.” Hope you don’t apply that mindset to the other areas of your life.
Rj
Dec 5, 2016 at 3:25 am
Why would anyone ever take lessons from this guy ever again, after this arrogant, clueless, snobbish rant. So typical
tom stickney
Dec 5, 2016 at 3:40 pm
Sad that trying to help you play better for free is arrogant, clueless, and snobbish in your world
Mongoose
Dec 4, 2016 at 11:21 pm
Touchy subject!!! It’s Tom’s educated opinion. Sounds like a bunch -20 handicap experts…
Jack Conger
Dec 4, 2016 at 6:23 pm
Tom, you are 100% correct. You have to continue to get better daily to be a good teacher. It takes years just like any other professional to get good at your given profession. I traveled to Flordia and learned under Mike Bender, about the golf swing, drills and how to effectively teach using training aids. He took me to a completely different level. You must be a good communicator as well. Most PGA Professionals don’t have the time or care that much about being a great teacher. Very few are really good, and it is up to the amateur to search out how much a certain Pro really knows. Who has he taught and how much success his students have had. . Most ameturs don’t have a clue. I see it every day on the range. ALWAYS the WRONG diagnosis. You have to understand the golf swing in the correct sequence and key positions. Jack .
Mike Rodrick
Dec 5, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Jack, you hit the nail right on the head. Golf instruction is about how pros communicate to students so that it’s sort of like the old, “golf for dummies” books. Obviously I’m talking about beginners but it can apply to other ability levels also. There’s an online teacher by the Name of Paul Wilson who is one of the best communicators of the golf swing I’ve ever seen. He speaks in clear understandable terms that anyone can follow. He actually did this free of charge for a really long time, but finally started charging. He’s really out of line, charging $20 per month for at least 1 lesson a week but most times 2 or 3 a week depending who he’s trying to reach. I paid for a few months but was actually getting too much information so I dropped out for a while to digest & work on what I learned. He also has free tips on the site that have been there forever but it gives you a chance to see how he teaches before you decide you want to pay. Even if you have no intention of joining, check out his free videos to see what I mean.
Shallowface
Dec 4, 2016 at 4:53 pm
About 30 years ago I took the only lesson I’ve ever had from a local instructor. He ended up calling the other instructors over to watch because he said he’d never before had a student who could do everything he asked me to do. When he asked how I was able to do that, my reply was “well, everything you’ve asked me to do I’ve tried on my own at one time or another in the past.”
A few years ago, I had an opportunity to play a round with an aspiring pro who was playing mini-tours in Florida. He had been working with a teacher who, while not one of the bigger names, was one many would recognize and had been on Golf Channel on a number of occasions. When I asked him why he had stopped, his reply was “I can’t help but feel he’s holding something back on me. That there is something he knows he’s not telling me.” Whether or not that was true, it is a perception I’ve heard from others regarding their instructors.
Finally, articles like this read like the author feels a need to defend his turf. It’s not the first time we’ve seen this. Why so defensive? Just publish your advice with confidence. Or don’t. It’s up to you. But one of the hallmarks of this great game is that we try to help one another. That’s not going to stop. Nor should it.
Dennis Clark
Dec 4, 2016 at 4:22 pm
What Tom is saying is that teaching is it’s own discipline. Capable players may very well help you, but often it is by chance. What most people who do not teach for a living day in and day out are offering is their own personal swing advise based on what worked FOR THEM. In other words, “I’m a scratch player, here’s what I do, see if this helps” type advise…it might but…What we are trained as teachers to do is stand behind any number of people, with a variety of swing issues, and offer advise relevant that THAT student. If I see 6 people in a days time, I may give 6 different lessons. That is a learned skill from 35+ years of standing behind people on the lesson tee. When I first started teaching I too offered advise based on what worked for ME, but I soon learned that this just wasn’t gonna cut it. I’d helped some, for example those who suffered from the same issues I did, but HURT others. I, like Tom have more business than I can handle, and the last thing I strive for is to have someone come back over and over. My ideal day is one where I see new people every day! It’s very true that not all instructors are the same quality, but like anything, there’s not much one can do about that. Saw 5 people today, one flat, one steep, one over it, one stuck behind, and a +1 who we made a slight adjustment in his ball position. Find someone who speaks your language, and stay with her/him. Keep up the good work Tom, pleasure working with you.
Tom Stickney
Dec 4, 2016 at 5:57 pm
Thx Dennis!
Jack
Dec 4, 2016 at 10:15 pm
I agree. Doing it either by yourself or by other players could still take you there but it will take much longer. That’s why all the pros and better amateurs basically have coaches. Except for Bubba, but if you have that kind of talent you would be OK. Though I think that also holds him back from being better since changing his swing would probably destroy him (as far as pro’s go).
Mike Rodrick
Dec 5, 2016 at 1:14 pm
Today’s players rely way too much on coaches. Once you reach that level of ability you shouldn’t have to have a coach travel with you everywhere you go or be available on a moment’s notice to come to a tournament to bail you out if you’re not playing well. How did Jones, Hagen & all the greats do it by themselves & still shoot great scores? They also didn’t have sports “psychologists” to solve their every little problem for them. Today’s players, while great, are basically spoiled kids who can’t think for themselves, make WAY too much money & must be catered to week after week, insisting on perfect conditions or they cry like babies because the greens are too slow, too fast or just too hard. Not only that, they set terrible examples for weekend players by taking 2-3 minutes to play every shot. I realize they’re playing for big money, but no one needs that much time to pick a club, consider the conditions & hit the required shot. Probably the worst offender is Spieth who can’t play a shot until he’s talked about it for 5 minutes. These guys have to set the example required of amateurs to keep play moving if they ever expect the issue to improve.
Roger
Dec 4, 2016 at 2:40 pm
There are way too many PGA certified professional teachers that simply do not know enough about the golf swing to attempt to teach it. This lack of knowledge, and the inability that most have to communicate with the student, has all but destroyed the reputation of professional teachers. Throw in the high rates that are charged for really nothing more than 30 minutes or an hour of unneeded, unwanted and worthless advice that has absolutely nothing to do with the golfer’s problem he/she needed help with and you have a very negative experience.
Jack
Dec 4, 2016 at 10:45 pm
That’s true. Some teachers aren’t much different from what you get on youtube channels, only providing generic fixes even though you are standing right in front of them.
walt
Dec 4, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Tom,
Good article. I recently purchased you on line program. I feel its been and will continue to be helpful.
As for golf lessons: I have had a few and most were worthless. I had one teacher that really helped because he liked what I was working on and he cared. Unfortunately, He’s in Grand Rapids MI and I now live in PGH., Pa. I been as low as a 6.4 index and I’m a 10.5 now. But I think your instructions will get me closer to my goals. Your short game chipping tips using different clubs with the same swing, and your article using the right club for over 100 yds. is priceless, thanks!
As for golf tip from other players; there may be someone that can help, but that’s very rare?
Thanks again,
Walt
Phil
Dec 4, 2016 at 9:40 am
I don’t know what you’re trying to tell us and maybe we’re getting it all wrong, but giving flak to your clients (or colleagues clients) won’t help your guild.
This article is as arrogant as this one (or at least both appear that way): http://www.golfwrx.com/371694/dont-be-that-guy-when-youre-taking-lessons
Tom Stickney
Dec 4, 2016 at 10:39 am
Please…it’s is NOT about building my brand or my name whatsoever- seriously how many of you are coming to Mexico for a lesson?
It’s about trying to help the masses of golfers whom are receiving poor information just as I did years ago…
Brendon Hough
Dec 4, 2016 at 12:58 pm
If you really want to get rid of bad information being passed along you need to get rid of bad golf instructors before they have a chance to infect golfers. This is a top down problem. Amateurs are simply repeating what they were taught.
Shallowface
Dec 4, 2016 at 8:50 am
This is one of the best comments sections in the history of WRX.
Philip
Dec 4, 2016 at 1:22 am
Tom, I think you should step back and realize that the root of the problem is that it is difficult to teach and most would rather apply some convenient system to get some decent results to make a living. I have begged PGA professionals to help me understand the golf swing, to show me – I figured spending the cost of a new driver on lessons would be better in the long run. No one was interested in helping me truly understand how to get better, they just wanted to apply their recipe. If it wasn’t for my last instructor I would be 0 for 6. Golf My Way has given me a better understanding of what I am trying to do than anyone I saw. I find it interesting that in my schooling I can count on one hand how many truly great teachers I have had in about 100 teachers (5% just like my experience with golf instructors – coincidence) – the rest were equally qualified or more, and very experienced too, but they were just doing a job. The very best university instructor I ever had was not even a professional trained professor, but someone who makes a living out of what was being taught – she learned through the school of hard knocks, not some certified program, but could she ever get the point across to the entire class.
Philip
Dec 6, 2016 at 12:01 pm
Okay so my math sucks :o) – Tom, your article could have been great if it wasn’t so slanted. Yes, in general, advice given between golfers can hurt more than help if the golfer receiving the advice takes it blindly without the other golfer understanding what they are currently being worked on. But this would be no different than an individual going for a lesson without communicating to the instructor what they are currently working on and the instructor taking that information into consideration. Personally, I have thick defectors on for random tips from fellow golfers, but even still, two of the biggest improvements in my swing started from random observations of myself and some PGA Tour players on TV. In the end, it was me who acid tested the given ideas, tested and re-tested – and I am still tweaking. On the other hand I was looking forward to working with the new PGA Pro at my course until I saw him give the most horrible lesson possible. He would show the guy what to do, by making a near flawless swing and then let his student, who could barely able to setup to the ball, hit topped shot after topped shot – and he just keep repeating this process of show and fail. It was obvious that the poor golfer had no clear understanding of how to setup to the ball and swing a club. Instead I’ll continue to work with the uncertified golfer who is managing the course. At least he can communicate and after each lesson I come away with new ideas. I had fellow golfers ask me about taking lessons from the new PGA pro and I could only shudder … best of luck to them. But please continue, as you have given some great advice that has helped me a lot – much appreciated.
Brian
Dec 4, 2016 at 1:06 am
Bobby Jones was just an amateur.
Jim V
Dec 3, 2016 at 9:34 pm
Great article Tom!
PGA members are employed to give lessons, that is their job!
I’m in Australia where PGA members go through an extensive 3 year program to receive their qualifications.
There are millions of tips online but good luck trying to figure out which ones are relevant to your swing. Your head will explode along with your swing.
Would you take your car to a qualified mechanic or would you go to someone that watched a 3 minute video on YouTube?
Mike Rodrick
Dec 5, 2016 at 1:22 pm
In some cases, you can learn more in 3 minutes than an hour if the pro actually knows what they are doing & actually care about whether you’re improving. I’m certainly not suggesting this is the case with even the majority but there are many that seem bored if they’re not working with someone having real potential rather than a high handicapper.
Am Teach
Dec 3, 2016 at 7:58 pm
Sounds like a typical teacher who’s felt the downturn in golf attendance and need the income come back to him at the levels achieved in the high times before the collapse and went out and bought a house he can’t afford
Tom Stickney
Dec 4, 2016 at 12:37 am
Nothing could be further from the truth…
tommyonegun
Dec 5, 2016 at 9:30 am
If my buddy just successfully replaced his transmission and told me he would help me fix mine for free, I’d have him help me instead of going to a mechanic.
This may hold true for super high handicappers that play together, but me and all my 5 handicap buddies can certainly provide each other with sound advice.
Lee
Dec 3, 2016 at 6:49 pm
You know, I almost never read comments, and after scanning this largely incoherent scree of non-sequiturs and ad hominem attacks in the comment section, I’m going to withdraw from reading them in the future.
Tom, your contributions to GolfWRX are valued by this reader. You consistently – week after week after week – offer an angle on the game that is helpful, insightful, grounded in experience, and thoughtfully articulated. That it is received in this matter only reminds me of the saying that no good deed goes unpunished.
I hope you process this crap in the same spirit as Kimmel’s reoccurring Mean Tweets segment, such that there is laughter and catharsis that flows from the sadness in spirit displayed here.
Tom Stickney
Dec 4, 2016 at 12:38 am
Thank you…I try to do the best I can
Scott
Dec 5, 2016 at 12:00 pm
+1
170
Dec 10, 2016 at 8:33 am
Well said Lee. Really enjoy and appreciate your writing Mr. Stickney. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Matto
Dec 3, 2016 at 4:50 pm
Your own Mark Crossfield is one that springs to mind. Last I heard he was a 9 handicap?!
James
Dec 3, 2016 at 6:48 pm
He’s under 2.
Matto
Dec 3, 2016 at 7:25 pm
Must’ve improved? That was from the horses mouth.
BC
Dec 3, 2016 at 4:38 pm
PGA professional teachers are put in the same class as job-hopping used car salesmen – except the used car salesmen know what they are doing.
nathan
Dec 3, 2016 at 4:31 pm
‘Professional’ teaching is such bad shape that it’s pathetic. Scoring average remains 100 or 28!!! Over par is the proof…
Matto
Dec 3, 2016 at 7:27 pm
I wonder what the average is for people that actually get lessons though?
Dale Doback
Dec 4, 2016 at 12:17 am
I taught myself down to a 6 handicap. Went to golftec went up to an 18 found a different instructor and took another year to get back down to 6 and now I’m a 3 handicap. I wish I would have documented my journey I might have been a youtube sensation due to all the drama. I got my original handicap down by 3 $4000 later and two and half years. I am a better ball striker but what a frustrating road due to ineffective instruction.
James
Dec 4, 2016 at 4:48 am
Or for people that actually practice
Bryan
Dec 4, 2016 at 11:40 am
6 out of those 10 players is from sheer lack of talent, the other 4 are from lack of practice and proper dedication paired with unrealistic expectations… What do you expect the national scoring average to be? 72?
nathan
Dec 4, 2016 at 7:05 pm
90? Bogey golf…?? Something like that.
If you take a dozen lessons, I’m not looking for someone to be shaping shots or hitting stingers under the wind…but fixing an over the top cast to a chicken wing surely should be fixable I would think.
PGA PRO
Dec 5, 2016 at 4:49 pm
How many lessons have you taken and what is your handicap?
Shallowface
Dec 5, 2016 at 6:15 am
85 is a reasonable goal. Lack of talent plays some part, but the bigger problem is basic caveman nature. Most guys only care about socking that one big drive that makes their playing partners hoot and holler. But scoring better comes from eliminating ground balls and drives blown into the woods. If you can advance the ball 150-175 yards on a regular basis and get all of your “50 yard” wedges on the green (and play from the proper tees), you’re never going to shoot worse than 90 and you only have to eke out 5 pars to shoot 85. But, that’s not sexy, is it? It’s all about socking that long ball, and instructors play a role in that because they usually have drivers to sell in addition to lessons. Not to say one can’t learn to hit it farther eventually, but the idea that we are going to swing as hard as we can from day one and learn to control it later is what kills aspiring golfers.
Mike Rodrick
Dec 5, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Excellent point. You’ll never improve without practicing, & I’m not talking about beating a 100 balls at a time with no real purpose. Even a better part of your point high expectations. Unfortunately, for 99% of us, there just isn’t enough time to put in much practice to really improve much & that has to be taken into consideration by the pupils. Having realistic expectations, especially if you’re a high handicapper can’t be stressed enough. Many times, that could be more of the problem than a bad teacher.
nathan
Dec 4, 2016 at 7:00 pm
Would say about the same if I were to guess.
I play with a lot of sad souls that have gotten years of lessons and still are unable to crack 90.
That’s not the concerning part…it’s that their swings are still so fundamentally unsound.
Bob
Dec 3, 2016 at 3:49 pm
Tom, I hate to tell you this but, you need to know it – to us “knowledgeable golfers” that have been around the game for decades, with few exceptions your profession is thought of much like job-hopping used car salesmen, ambulance chasing attorneys, unscrupulous dentists selling 80 year-old ladies full implants, and shady financial advisors selling scam annuities – except they know what they are doing whereas those in your profession don’t have a clue! The real scary ones are the professional teachers that think they understand the swing and convey the attitude they know best.
Bryan
Dec 4, 2016 at 11:35 am
Tell us how knowledgeable you are Bob…. Let me guess, you are a solid 17 handicap that posts consistently in the instruction forum. You seem very concerned over this article, why don’t you go write your congressman.
Rich
Dec 3, 2016 at 3:45 pm
Tom, I hate to tell you this but, you need to know it – to us “knowledgeable golfers” that have been around the game for decades, with few exceptions your profession is thought of much like job-hopping used car salesmen, ambulance chasing attorneys, unscrupulous dentists selling 80 year-old ladies full implants, and shady financial advisors selling scam annuities – except they know what they are doing whereas those in your profession don’t have a clue! The real scary ones are the professional teachers that think they understand the swing and convey the attitude they know best.
Tom Stickney
Dec 4, 2016 at 12:41 am
I would agree that 75% of the professionals teaching the game on a part time basis need serious help. The PGA teaching curriculum is a farce thus the reason I am NOT in the PGA.
Mongoose
Dec 4, 2016 at 11:18 pm
Great point, love your articles… Just honest truth… PGA professionals do a great job folding shirts and minding the shop… Not all but most… IMO
dWakawaka
Dec 6, 2016 at 4:56 pm
That’s the article I’d love to read: “Why I’m NOT in the PGA”.
Loupus
Dec 3, 2016 at 3:41 pm
Couldn’t agree with Tom more. It’s disappointing to read the unanimously negative comments. Just because you’ve found tips and tricks that have helped your game, in no way does that mean the same will apply to every (or any) one else. If someone asks your opinion, fine (although I’m quick to downplay my own qualifications). Unsolicited advice, however, is patronizng and never acceptable.
So often golfers will listen to advice from unqualified buddies or random playing partners, but worry that taking a lesson from a PGA pro will “mess them up”. It’s not unlike having a cavity and asking someone with good teeth for a filling.
Tom
Dec 3, 2016 at 4:50 pm
The thing is, those giving advice more than got it from a teaching pro.
farmer
Dec 3, 2016 at 3:33 pm
Where I live, a rural area, the nearest city of any size has golf pros available for lessons. Problem is, the head pro runs the business of the pro shop, and the teaching is relegated to assistants. Most of the assistants are kids trying to get their feet wet in the business. They have not had 1000’s of paid hours of expert instruction on how to teach. My understanding of the PGM program is that it is more concerned with running a small business (pro shop) than teaching. There are undoubtedly many fine teachers out there, but they are typically not available to the average player.
Tillers
Dec 3, 2016 at 3:31 pm
99.per cent of golf pros in U.K are useless. It sounds like it is much the same in USA. Golf is such a horribly difficult game which perhaps explains why the trained experts are so poor.
Brendon Hough
Dec 4, 2016 at 12:12 am
I think the reason in the USA that some instructors are not great teachers is because they are pretty good players at one point and did a lot of things naturally and never had learn every anatomical and swing aspect to try and build a better swing. They got through the playability test and take their recurrent classes to stay certified. A PGA of America certification which is about $8000 and two to three years of working at a grass facility with some online classes which in my opinion is much like becoming a realtor and you have a modern day golf instructor which is about as effective as 25% of the instructors out there. At local range there are several golf coaches not even certified by the PGA of America instructing. Basically I could print up a business card get a shirt with logos and a trackman and start instructing.
Johnny Muscletown
Dec 3, 2016 at 1:41 pm
There are great teachers out there. The problem is that usually the really good ones are priced out of the range of the average person. Most wives are not fans of buying $500 worth of lessons (6 lessons, I got one free!!!). The best advice I have ever received was from a lesson via the internet. Every PGA pro I took lessons from seemed more concerned with why I didn’t like hitting hooks! I paid these guys upwards of $80 an hour to be told, “Aim right.”
bc
Dec 3, 2016 at 1:32 pm
Tom – You may think you are an excellent golf teacher, and that you are right about this topic, but the golfing public knows far better than you do. You and your fellow PGA professional teachers are about as worthy as a kite flying teacher on a windless day. For the most part – practically worthless.
Tom Stickney
Dec 4, 2016 at 5:59 pm
Bit of a stretch
Matt Yucca
Dec 3, 2016 at 1:19 pm
The rates PGA professional teachers charge for their (oftentimes poor advice) is robbery. I’ve seen PGA professional teachers give such poor advice to decent golfers that you would have thought they were purposely trying to mess-up the players’ swing.
Double Mocha Man
Dec 3, 2016 at 1:00 pm
I had a 5 handicap buddy in my foursome notice that I would draw my putter back, stop it, and then make the forward swing. He suggested the ol’ pendulum swing, keep the putter moving. Keep it continuous. Works like a charm… finally I can imagine sub par rounds instead of these 73’s and 74’s. Now if I can only solve the puzzle on those 25 yard to 50 yard pitches…
Jmac
Dec 3, 2016 at 12:24 pm
Tom just trying to save his job and the pga teaching professionals. With so much knowledge on the Internet and affordable swing monitors, won’t be long before the pga pro gets outdated and the Internet geek becomes an accomplished self taught golfer
Tom
Dec 3, 2016 at 12:30 pm
“These days, with more and more golf instruction available on YouTube and on the web, it seems like everyone is now an “expert” on the golf swing in their spare time. No offense, but everyone is not an expert, and more often than not, a non-professional who offers a tip on the range will do more harm than good.”
Rick
Dec 3, 2016 at 12:48 pm
And more times than not the advice a so-called “professional” offers will do more harm than good.
Mike Rodrick
Dec 5, 2016 at 2:01 pm
Actually, taking lessons can make you worse, but in most cases it’s because you’re being taught something entirely foreign to what you’ve been doing by yourself. If that’s the case, it doesn’t take long to get into bad habits while breaking them & learning a different way can take months until it’s ingrained. As you’ve probably heard, with golf lessons, you’ll get worse before you get better.
Tom Stickney
Dec 4, 2016 at 12:44 am
No chance
KK
Dec 3, 2016 at 12:19 pm
Really depends on the swing error and level of player. Someone who shoots 120+ will improve with fundamental tips from any experienced golfer, especially if they can’t pinpoint the error. Golfers who shoot less than 95, not so much because their routines are likely very set and any change will probably require consistent focus.
Elliot
Dec 3, 2016 at 12:06 pm
Tom, this is actually VERY BAD ADVICE that you are giving! For every one PGA teaching professional that provides even half decent teaching advice, there are hundreds (yes, the ratio is worse than 1:100) that give incorrect advice, or have no clue what they’re doing in regards to teaching. 9 out of 10 teaching professionals will give students advice based on what they are currently working on in their own game.
Dale Doback
Dec 4, 2016 at 1:05 am
I used to get across the line at the top of my swing but could play to a 6 handicap. The instructor is a level 3 certified instructor from Jim Hardy and a golftec instructor. He was convinced me to change to a single plane swing. I worked for a year and a half trying to change my swing and went up to an 18 handicap at its worst. I got so locked up I couldn’t play. I spent week after week working on my instructors latest greatest one plane move. After a year and a half my instructor went to a Jim Hardy clinic and showed him my swing because my instructor was stuck and couldn’t figure out how to fix my swing. Hardys response was that I should be a two planer with some very simple fixes that showed immediate improvement. Since then Ive worked with a couple different instructors and I am now down to a 3 handicap. SO basically Tom, getting swing advice from a friend telling me I’m swaying a little to much off the ball or my alignment is off is not nearly as frustrating or destructive as what I went through from a reputable golf “professional.”
JThunder
Dec 3, 2016 at 11:56 am
Please edit sentence #2 to read “there are” instead of “there’s” (before anyone suggests leaving writing to the professionals). As for the rest, it’s a bit misguided and embarrassing. *Of course* a teaching pro will tell you to pay for lessons. But an “article” saying “you can’t listen to anyone else, come and pay one of us or you’re screwed”. Really? The vast majority of golfers will never get more than advice from non-pros, because they haven’t the time, money or inclination to get lessons. (Remember, the same golfers who barely have the time, money and inclination to even play golf, hence the continual whining and howling from the golf industry at large.) FWIW, it took me 5 instructors until I found one whose approach and viewpoint actually helped my swing and game. Was I offered refunds by the previous 4? Did their “advice” do me any more good than my buddies (the best players among whom have given me excellent advice on occasion), or random strangers?
If you want to win people over, I’m afraid the “listen to us, everyone else is wrong and hurting you” lecture is going to repel more people than it will attract.
Burn Blanstin
Dec 3, 2016 at 11:56 am
It’s take me years to be a consistent single digit. Along the way, I’ve taken lessons with over 25 (no bs) instructors, tried different swing styles, (Natural golf etc….), played with top players, amateur and tour players, bought 30+ training aids, and watched 1000’s of YouTube videos… I am 50 now and still improving. I write down every tip I learn in an excel spreadsheet and it’s been 7 years now… I treat everything I learn with extreme prejudice, and see if it sticks more than 1 or 2 rounds… most don’t… My swing and golf knowledge is a collage of everything I’ve learned and I still feel I’m headed to a 3-4 handy… I’ve had some success asking the best 2-5 players in the state from the Open tourneys, who they use and I’ve gone to them. Many times the top guys see a couple of the same teachers… I’ve figured out a ton just in the dirt, and that’s been 60-70% of my progress too. For me it’s been a great journey, and I can’t wait to write my book, “How I went from shooting 120 to breaking 72… Sadly my best is a 74 and a 76 during 1 week a couple years ago, So here I sit reading the latest Golf Digest, which has a few promising tips… In truth I wish I could find an instructor who could take me to scratch, and how I’ve tried to find that guy with at least 5 lessons per guy ( I recommend 7-10, to give anyone a chance to really impact your swing), but it’s never completely worked for me and I am truly a collage…
Shallowface
Dec 4, 2016 at 8:52 am
“I write down every tip I learn in an excel spreadsheet and it’s been 7 years now.”
I do that too, and go back and read them when I need a good laugh. Sometimes the laugh is from “how did I forget that.” Sometimes it’s from “what the hell was I thinking.”
ultimate hacker
Dec 3, 2016 at 11:42 am
screw these advertisements they are bigger than the WRX page itself cmon I know you need advertising but jeeze this is ridiculous. im looking at sweater advertisements when im here for golf. I understand if its a FJ or TM ad that makes sense on a golf page not this BS.
Chris C.
Dec 3, 2016 at 9:45 am
I certainly agree that professional advice might be more beneficial. Alas, like so many things in golf, cost and time must be taken into account. In the meantime, I do not think that I am harming anyone when I point out that they are aligned directly into the woods as opposed to anything remotely parallel to the target line, or suggest a “slightly weakened” right hand grip when it is so turned to the right so as to be completely under the grip with knuckles pointing to the left. I certainly appreciate it when my regular group points out I have mistakenly attempted to replicate John Daly’s swing leading to an inadvertent do it yourself chiropractic adjustment. One does not need to solicit the advice of an F-1 driver to learn to stop on a red light. In a final thought, what are your thoughts regarding Earl Woods teaching his son to play golf?